Kottayam: Pressing for a new dam to replace the century-old Mullaperiyar reservoir, the Kerala government on Tuesday said it would place before the Supreme Court its objections to the Empowered Committee`s report which concluded that the structure was safe.

Holding that the existing dam was weak, Water Resources Minister PJ Joseph told reporters here that the state would place its demands and objections to the report submitted by the apex court appointed committee when the matter comes up for hearing on July 23.

Asking Kerala to reconsider its proposal to build a new dam, the five-member committee headed by former Chief Justice of India Justice AS Anand also recommended that the water level at the dam, located in Kerala`s Idduki district and maintained by Tamil Nadu Public Works Department, can now be raised to 142 ft from the existing 136 ft.

Joseph reiterated the state`s demand for the construction of a new dam over which Kerala is locked in a row with Tamil Nadu, and claimed the dam was unsafe.

The Central Water Commission`s report in 1979 was a pointer to this, he said.
Since 1979, successive governments had been of the view that a new dam be constructed across Mullaperiyar, he said.
The minister said the state assembly had passed a resolution for construction of a new dam and UDF government would go ahead with the proposal unitedly.
Joseph said former Supreme Court judge KT Thomas, a member of the Empowered Committee, should have kept in mind the larger interests of the people of the state.